Hirsch (Zeppelin)
Colonel Hirsch was a Luftstreitkräfte Colonel aboard the Zeppelin LZ36, he was assigned by the German High Authority Command or the Oberste Heeresleitung on it's maiden test flight along with an ex British Army now turned spy Geoffrey Richter-Douglas, and Major Tauntler, Professor Christian Altschul, and his younger wife Erika Altschul aboard the LZ36 under the Command of Von Gorian whom was the LZ36's commander, he secretly led a mission from the Oberste Heeresleutung to invade Balcoven Castle to steal British Documents, as well as Archives, Paintings and as well as Magna Carta. Biography During the First World War in 1915, he was in a meeting with the Oberste Heeresleitung Office about a mission about British squadron fighters that were patrolling England and Zeppelins bombing England and striking strategic targets, in the meeting Professor Christian Altschul, confirmed he never intended Airships for war and would only stop the terror in the Trenches, however the German Naval Officer said he authorised no new prototypes of this kind, after flight testing is completed and the airship is commissioned then they plan one single operation that could destroy British moral. While in Friedrichshafen he and Major Tauntler together met former British Army Lieutenant Geoffrey Richter-Douglas, in reality he was on a secret mission to steal the plans of the LZ36 a new type of Zeppelin under development, however during a secession which Colonel Hirsch brought him to the film room to answer if he knows many locations in Scotland from where he is from, that is when Hirsch had plans for a secret mission in a military operation to steal many British historical documents including the Magna Carta from the Balcoven Castle in Scotland, which Geoffrey recognised the locations of Loch Ness, Craigie Castle, Dunvagen Castle, Kyle of Lochalsh, Halcoen Castle on the lists, Hirsch was interested by Richter-Douglas's historical background that he knew Scotland very well, but he soon told him after helping them Geoffrey was free to go from the room, however though Tauntler said he didn't know it was east gate. One night when Richter-Douglas was going for a family reunion he soon was picked up by two men that brought him to th Friedrichshafen airfield where Richter-Douglas under the alias of (Gottfried von Richter) arrived where he had to where boots for flight, he met Hirsch and Tauntler on the airfield which they watched LZ36 move out of it's hanger into the open, Geoffrey is to be assigned onto it's test flight which he said to him in reply, "LZ36? the sum of German genius, for the dream of Leonardo Da Vinci we have created the factory," he said amazed by the design, however before Richter-Douglas boarded the Zeppelin they would see the earth from 1200 feet, both Hirsch, Tauntler and Richter-Douglas boarded LZ36, where Richter-Douglas already knew Dr Altschul, he met his younger wife Erika, and also Commander von Gorlan the commander in charge of the Gondola car in LZ36 with the other crew on board, although Erika wasn't informed that Richter-Douglas was flying with them, however Hirsch said he's taken care of the situation and placed Richter-Douglas as a new crewmen for LZ36 under their command for it's test flight, however when Richter-Douglas was shown to his quarters, he asked Hirsch why he was invited all he told him was "All in good time von Richter," he also told Major Tauntler "When we reach Phase 3 watch him, if anything goes wrong you know what to do, if he fails us, dead on British soil in German uniform," if he doesn't make it. When the Zeppelin reached the sky on it's test run, Colonel Hirsch requested to talk to Major Tauntler immediately, however engine four sparked but concerns from Colonel Hirsch said to von Gorian should they return to base, later they had to put on cold weather gear for high altitude test he also showed him his gear to wear when in the air, they discharged ballast, after repairs where completed on engine four, later they all drank a toast to LZ36 and it was commissioned after taking a drink to it, Hirsch had a talk to von Gorlan they're not going home and that the Oberste Heeresleitung had ordered a new mission for them, as it was commissioned, although von Gorlan said to Hirsch that no procedure was followed before but Hirsch said they're now on a war mission, but the problem was they would not be able to make it back to Germany as not enough petrol for the test, he promised to tell von Gorian to the Oberste Heeresleitung a message that the test is successful and the wireless must be shut down and sealed. Later on in the morning just as both Professor Altschul and Erika, and Geoffrey woke up in the morning, Altschul asked to von Gorian where they were heading but said it was Norway, but Hirsch said it was about a war mission but Dr Altschul was outraged by Hirsch, however Dr Altschul stated he would complain to the Oberste Heeresleitung, however though Hirsch was right when he told Dr Altschul that the German Highest Authority had ordered it this way, this mean Colonel Hirsch now it taking over command after one test flight, Erika asked if von Richter had anything to do with it but all Hirsch told her he cannot disclose any future information, when the Radio Operator came in he said about the shutting down of the Wireless and the safety of the ship meaning 2 hours of weather reports but Hirsch told him he would be without the weather reports. Later on when LZ36 approached Norway von Gorlan however made sure the ship was at 50 feet and crossing over the fjords of Norway and towards the lake, they went 40 feet and made they're way towards the lake and managed to slow down into the water stopping all engines they had to refuel, however later on when von Gorian ordered Dr Altschul that they need to check the gas cells before proceeding on although Dr Altschul told von Gorian that they where flying for 18 hours and he needed to check all equipment although von Gorian told him he had two hours Colonel Hirsch interrupted and changed the time to 1 hour as they must leave in one hour, later on he ordered a take off but Erika told Hirsch she had not completed yet but he told her they had to, later on the ship left Norway on the way to England but before they did he told von Gorian that they're second rendezvous is a German Kaiserliche Marine Cargo Ship to pick up passengers and a cargo of Cylinders of Mustard Gas, but Commander von Gorian told Colonel Hirsch that the biggest problem flying over British cruiser patrols and they could get spotted and reported back in Britain or worse so Hirsch's best option was to fly above the clouds, later while in flying above the clouds, von Richter threw the Wireless Operator off the Airship while he was already dead back in Norway earlier in the sky claiming the operator went mad and committed suicide, von Richter shouted, "MAN OVERBOARD!" he claimed that the operator committed suicide on the Airship because he was shivering in the Ice, however von Gorian explained he was actually told to stay in the Wireless room but von Richter said he tried to save him but was unable to, however von Gorian said that von Richter will hold responsibility for the Wireless Operator's death but Colonel Hirsch reassured von Gorlan that von Richter is not to be blamed he will accept full responsibility on his report. Very soon the airship went down from the clouds on the way to the German Kaiserliche marine Cargo Ship, it is to pick up more Luftsreitkräfte Passengers on a Commando raid and also some Mustard Gas, when the ropes where attached and LZ36 successfully reached the mooring mast, Colonel Hirsch ordered the cargo and passengers to be loaded, one by one the passengers for the Commando Raid boarded the Zeppelin, and the cargo of Mustard Gas was loaded, however after Dr Altschul asked what was in the Cylinders, Major Tauntler told him it was Mustard Gas, but Dr Altschul said not on board his ship, but Hirsch had to calm him down but Dr Altschul said it was too barbaric however Hirsch told him his job was over and had to proceed with loading, later on the airship was clear to leave and headed on its way to Britain. Later the objective during the briefing was to head to the ruins of Balcoven Castle first into the Glen and they would pass over Glen Meddock in order to capture the British Historical Archives and the Magna Carta, Hirsch explained they're not just robbing a bank but robbing the British far more greater than for their money and their history, Major Tauntler and the now promoted Major von Richter would also partake in this, they would attack Balcoven Castle and the engines will be turned off and glide in quietly, he says they wouldn't have gotten far without von Richter, but he soon leaves the room for a while to think on this what he's doing, When von Richter and Tauntler began in the Basket gliding the Zeppelin to the castle and over Loch Callon and Maddok Hills and close towards Balcoven Castle, eventually they soon cut engines, after that von Richter and Tauntler joined in the Gondola and eventually Colonel Hirsch said what Major Tauntler had to do but said not more, soon they began approaching Balcoven Castle, and LZ36 landed safely, eventually the raid led by Major Tauntler began. Death However though that Major von Richter or Geoffrey managed to tell the nearby communications center that they're being invaded by Germans Geoffrey was wounded in the arm, as a result his word got through and the British Army Guards began pursuing Major Tauntler and his men causing a light number of casualties and wounded. However that is on the Zeppelin LZ36 that he remained with some of the other crew, though Erika went to Geoffrey to try tell him that she could have warned them about the Wireless, she ordered him to fire but he fainted a fire flair shot accidentally which as the British Army came closer towards LZ36 and were pursuing Major Tauntler and his men, the attack began and Major Tauntler was ordering his men to retreat to the Zeppelin but was hit by a mortar shell, however they're where only very about several soldiers left when the Zeppelin started it's engines, and Geoffrey boarded as well as Erika, Tauntler and the others began to board, one of the British Soldiers tried to throw a grenade towards the Zeppelin's location seeing no other alternative Colonel Hirsch managed to sacrifice himself by landing on the Grenade instantly saving LZ36 to buy the airship it's time to escape, though Hirsch didn't die in vain his sacrifice managed to save everyone on the Zeppelin time to get out, but later though the British later pursued it down but the Zeppelin managed to later land in neutral Holland had it not been for Hirsch sacrificing himself to save LZ36 it would have been destroyed perhaps with everyone on board. Awards *Iron Cross 2nd Class Notes *He is played by Anton Diffring. Gallery Brefing.png|Geoffrey, Hirsch and Tauntler in the Briefing Geoffrey, Hirsch, and Tauntler watch Zeppelin.png|Geoffrey, Tauntler and Hirsch watch LZ36 move out of the hanger Geoffrey, Hirsch, and Tauntler watch.png|Geoffrey, Hirsch, and Tauntler watch LZ36 Before boarding.png|Geoffrey, Tauntler, and Hirsch before boarding, Hirsch tells von Gorlan mission changed.png|Hirsch tells von Gorlan that the German High Authority have ordered in a new mission Plans changed.png|Hirsch tells Professor Altschul that they're on a war mission now, Breifing (2).png|Hirsch informs the men about the Commando Raid plan on Balcoven Castle, Before the mission.png|Geoffrey (Gottfried von Richter), Commander von Gorlan, Colonel Hirsch, and Harlich before the invasion coming into Balcoven Castle, Hirsch attempts to scrafice himself.png|Hirsch attempts to scrafice himself to save LZ36, Hirsch lands on Grenade before it kills himself.png|Hirsch lands on the ground where the Grenade is his scrafice allows LZ36 time to escape from British Soil and make it to Neutral Holland, Hirsch is blown up,.png|Hirsch after being blown up by the Grenade, Category:Zeppelin (1971) Category:Movie Characters Category:Luftstreitkräfte Category:Colonels Category:Deceased Characters Category:Deaths by Suicide Category:Deaths by Explosion Category:Imperial German Army Category:Anton Diffring Category:Iron Cross 2nd Class Winners